The biggest change in the item on the new enhanced competition incentive program, approved by commissioners 4-0 Thursday, was a series of questions on private networks in a Further NPRM that go beyond language in the draft, based on a side-by-side comparison. The FCC posted the ECIP order Monday. The questions were added at the urging of Commissioner Geoffrey Starks (see 2207140055). “Many emerging private wireless use cases have the potential to unlock efficiencies in areas that are not only less populated but also associated with more moderate levels of enterprise demand,” the final FNPRM says: “For example, small farms can still benefit from smart agriculture, just as small businesses in any number of rural industries can leverage wireless technologies to enhance their operations -- and increasingly may need to do so to stay competitive as larger firms do the same. Similarly, smart infrastructure, which can be deployed outside of population centers, may not always be operated by a single customer (e.g., a large utility) that can generate a large amount of concentrated demand.” The FCC asks “to what extent can secondary market transactions fulfill demand for these applications, and to what extent will these applications rely on buildout by the original licensee?” Given “the centrality of these and similar use cases to the public interest benefits of 5G and other advanced wireless technologies, how can we ensure that our construction requirements, both population-based and alternative, encourage spectrum deployment in all areas with private wireless demand?” it asks: “Should we modify our population-based requirements to ensure that spectrum is available and put to use in these locations? If so, how?” Only Starks and Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel filed written statements.

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel circulated a notice of inquiry Friday on "increasing the national standard for minimum broadband speeds and proposed setting a long-term goal for broadband speed," said a news release. The NOI would "kick off the agency’s annual evaluation of the state of broadband across the country." Rosenworcel proposed setting the national broadband standard at 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload. “The needs of internet users long ago surpassed the FCC’s 25/3 speed metric, especially during a global health pandemic that moved so much of life online,” Rosenworcel said: “The 25/3 metric isn’t just behind the times, it’s a harmful one because it masks the extent to which low-income neighborhoods and rural communities are being left behind and left offline." If adopted, Rosenworcel's proposal would set the national broadband speed at 1 Gbps/500 Mbps in the future. The FCC in 2015 updated the broadband speed to 25/3 Mbps. Rosenworcel also proposed that the commission "consider affordability, adoption, availability, and equitable access as part of its determination as to whether broadband is being deployed in a reasonable and timely fashion." "We applaud Chairwoman Rosenworcel’s announcement today that she is proposing to increase the national standard for minimum broadband speeds and to set a long-term objective as well," said NTCA CEO Shirley Bloomfield. Incompas is "pleased" Rosenworcel took the "important first step toward increasing internet speed benchmarks, and we encourage the entire FCC to think bigger and bolder by setting gigabit goals," said CEO Chip Pickering: "The US invented the internet, but we have fallen behind China, Europe and other nations who have set much higher standards than are currently being proposed." “Ensuring that today’s internet speeds are sufficient for current and future use has been a persistent challenge in the urgent effort to bridge the digital divide," said a National Rural Electric Cooperative Association spokesperson. Friday's announcement is "a strong step in the right direction."

The FCC is “coordinating with NTIA like never before,” FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel told reporters Thursday (see 2207130047). There’s “more engagement between our agencies than I think there’s ever been in history,” Rosenworcel said, which “is a good thing because we have more work to do than ever before,” including ensuring NTIA is “in the know with mapping.” The FCC is contacting providers required to file information in the broadband data collection system, state broadband officers and other stakeholders to “make sure they understand how it works," Rosenworcel said, noting an initial map will be available in the fall: "All of this work is being discussed on a nearly daily basis between my staff, office, the agency, and our colleagues at NTIA." Commissioner Brendan Carr told reporters he's “all for moving as regulatorily possible” because the maps are “the key” to NTIA’s funding. “We should be sensitive” to concerns about NTIA using the first iteration “without the opportunity to … true up if a state is undercounted” because the FCC spent about $100 million on the maps “for the precise reason of making sure that these funding decisions are smart and based on accurate maps,” Carr said: “I think I’ve seen some positive sounds out of NTIA about making sure the allocation is done pursuant to a tested, accurate map.”

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel told reporters Thursday the FCC still has much to work through as it examines 5G in 12 GHz (see 2207130031). “It’s a really complex proceeding,” she said: “We have a very substantial technical review that’s underway.” Rosenworcel noted recent filings offering additional data “and at the same time we’ve gotten lots of consumers filing in our comment system,” she said: “We are still doing the technical review, our docket continues to grow, and it’s taking a lot of time and resources, but that’s OK because we want to reach the right answer.” Commissioner Brendan Carr said his view hasn’t changed in recent months and the FCC’s decision will be based on “a very technical analysis.” Dish Network Chairman Charlie Ergen, meanwhile, and others from the company met this week with all four commissioners on 12 GHz and other issues. Dish disputed SpaceX’s claims 5G in the band would harm its Starlink broadband offering (see 2207060012). “Starlink’s latest filing, part of an ongoing misinformation campaign initiated by the company, is both scientifically and logically flawed,” said a filing posted Thursday in docket 20-443: “It is therefore not surprising that the study does not appear to be authored by any third-party expert engineers.”

The FCC's August meeting will have a vote on establishing an outreach grant for the affordable connectivity program and allowing geostationary orbit (GSO) satellite service downlinks in the 17.3-17.8 GHz band, Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel blogged Thursday. Also on the agenda are consideration of a one-year pilot program, -- Your Home, Your Internet -- which aims to boost enrollment among households receiving federal housing assistance, and the possible launch of an inquiry into in-space servicing, assembly and manufacturing, plus an Enforcement Bureau item and a Media Bureau adjudication, she said. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act gave the FCC authority to allocate ACP funding for outreach, a change from the emergency broadband benefit program that many advocacy groups sought. The FCC sought comment on how it should establish the grant program earlier this year. Many groups sought flexibility in eligibility and how awards would be made (see 2206130052). “We’re making sure people know about affordable ways to get connected," Rosenworcel said. The FCC unanimously approved an NPRM on GSO downlinks in the 17 GHz band (see 2011180043) in 2020, though wireless interests raised concerns about proposed co-primary operations in the band (see 2103040041). Rosenworcel said the item would also seek comment on opening this opportunity to more satellites. People receiving federal housing assistance too often "find themselves on the wrong side of the digital divide," she said, and the Your Home, Your Internet pilot “offers a unique opportunity to help them get online.” Commissioner Geoffrey Starks led the initiative to establish the pilot.

U.S. internet service costs in June were up 2.6% year over year, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index unadjusted data released Wednesday. It said residential phone service costs increased 4% year over year, but wireless service was down 0.9%. Cable and satellite TV service costs were flat. BLS said June prices overall were up 9.1% year over year before seasonal adjustment.

OneWeb's study showing 5G incompatibility with non-geostationary orbit satellite operations in the 12 GHz band (see 2207120058) "is another in-house, non-independent effort to discredit the scientifically proven feasibility of coexistence in the 12 GHz band," the 12GHzfor5G Coalition emailed Tuesday. It said the FCC made it clear that any NGSO fixed satellite service using the band is doing so at its own risk and there shouldn't be an expectation of exclusivity there. The coalition said it "remains committed to working with the FCC and stakeholders to reach a win-win solution [and] will continue to pursue the facts that prove coexistence is possible in the band and advance the public interest."

The FCC unanimously approved an item updating low-power TV rules Wednesday and deleted it from Thursday’s meeting agenda, according to a deletion notice. The order eliminates or updates references to analog Part 74 rules that became outdated with the LPTV digital transition. "We eliminate in their entirety rules that provide for analog-to-analog and analog-to-digital interference protection requirements and other analog operating requirements," the order said. An accompanying NPRM seeks comment on other potential updates to the language of the LPTV rules, such as allowing a three-letter call sign.

There's more evidence that proposed terrestrial operations in the 12 GHz band would exceed the existing interference envelope for MVDDS operations there and cause harmful interference, OneWeb said Tuesday in docket 20-443, submitting a Monte Carlo analysis method. It said it corrected for faulty assumptions made by MVDDS proponents such as "unrealistically low" population coverage for mobile terrestrial networks, more non-geostationary orbit user terminals placed on rooftops, and use of only the 12 GHz band in modeling rather than the broader Ku band. It's an "unavoidable conclusion" that two-way terrestrial mobile service in the band will interfere with incumbent services, and the FCC should terminate consideration of opening up the band, it said. The 5Gfor12GHz Coalition didn't comment.

RS Access' most recent ex parte filing, with scant information beyond who was in attendance (see 2207060012), continues the company's "unfortunate pattern of promising technical submissions but then failing to submit them for the record to avoid widespread criticism of its misleading analysis," SpaceX said Monday in docket 20-443. SpaceX said the agency should either require a further ex parte with more disclosure or ignore everything said at the meeting. "Part of the FCC's mandate is to update antiquated rules to advance American telecom leadership," RS Access emailed. "Accordingly, we have worked closely with the FCC as it reviews the benefits of modernizing outdated legacy restrictions on the 12 GHz band, and RS Access is committed to continuing our work with the Commission to unlock the band's full potential."